


A Series of Kisses

by tethrasing



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Lyrium Withdrawal, Mage Inquisitor (Dragon Age), Rating May Change, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-05 01:48:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17315786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tethrasing/pseuds/tethrasing
Summary: A series of kisses between Cullen and the Inquisitor, each chapter inspired by a different prompt from the fluffy kiss prompts post created by darth-occlus on tumblr.





	1. A Kiss On The Hand

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: A press of lips to knuckles, a hand clasped in the other, a courtly gesture of respect and admiration, perhaps segueing into a dance, staring into each others eyes, drinking in the emotion.

Cerys leaned on the balcony railing, closing her eyes as the gentle breeze rustled her hair. For the first time all night, she had a moment to breathe. She listened as Morrigan’s footsteps faded and she was left alone.

 

She wasn’t alone for long, however. Morrigan’s footsteps were quickly replaced by footsteps she would know anywhere. Cullen hesitated only a moment before he moved to join her at the railing, his familiar, comforting scent of elderflower and oak moss quickly filling her nostrils.

  
“There you are. Everyone’s been looking for you,” he said to her right.

 

Cerys opened her eyes, dreading what else required the Inquisitor’s attention.

 

“Do you need me for something?”

 

“No,” Cullen quickly answered, “Things have calmed down for the moment. We just got nervous when we realized no one had seen you for a while.”

 

Cerys let out a breath and nodded, leaning more heavily on the railing. Cullen followed suit and rested his forearms on the railing as well.

 

“Are you all right?” he asked, concern evident in his voice.

 

The urge to fake a smile and lie was strong, but this was Cullen. She never lied to Cullen. She looked up at him and felt a pang in her heart when she saw his furrowed brow.

 

“I’m worn out. Tonight has been…very long. And the people here are awful,” she paused before looking down at her hands, “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you with all those people fawning over you. That wasn’t right, the way they were treating you.”

 

“It has been a long night and I couldn’t agree more about the people. As for my…following,” Cullen replied, echoing her earlier words, “don’t trouble yourself over it. I can endure a night of uncomfortable attention.”

 

“You shouldn’t have to,” Cerys immediately said.

 

She watched as Cullen opened his mouth and closed it again. She knew what he wanted to say, some such nonsense about duty or the like. Thankfully, he seemed to realize she was too tired for a debate.

 

“In any event, I’m glad the worst is over,” he said instead.

 

Cerys couldn’t argue with that. She turned her head to meet his gaze when she felt him rest a gentle hand on her shoulder.

 

“I know it’s foolish, but I was worried for you tonight,” he admitted quietly.

 

She gave him a small smile as she brought her hand to briefly touch his own where it rested on her shoulder. She almost missed the way his head turned back to the ballroom when the music began to play and the mischievous smile that began to form on his face.

 

“I may never have another chance like this, so I must ask…” he began, moving away from her.

 

Cerys turned to look at him, thoroughly confused at his odd behavior. She felt her breath catch in her throat when Cullen bowed at the waist and held his left hand out to her.

 

“May I have this dance, my lady?” he asked with a small smile.

 

Cerys didn’t know if it was the fatigue, the way he was looking at her, or the fact that he was doing this despite his own discomfort, but she suddenly felt like she was going to cry. Perhaps it was a combination of all three. She swallowed the lump in her throat and offered him a smile.

 

“Of course,” she replied as she delicately laid her hand in his.

 

“I thought you didn’t dance?” she teased as they moved into position.

 

“For you, I’ll try,” he answered as they began to move.

 

They danced a simple waltz, but Cerys was not disappointed. Despite Cullen’s earlier claims, he wasn’t a bad dancer. He led her confidently and Cerys briefly wondered if he had practiced before they had come to the Winter Palace. She couldn’t keep the silly smile off of her face as they twirled around the balcony. Cullen, too, was smiling as they held each other’s gaze. This was precisely the sort of thing she always dreamed about when she was growing up in the Circle, the sort of fantasy that was always beyond her reach.

 

As the song ended, Cullen spun her one last time and Cerys relished the feeling of the skirt of her dress flowing around her. For a moment, they stood still and Cerys was loathe to step away from him. After a moment, Cullen took her hand and brought it to his mouth, gently pressing a kiss to her knuckles. She felt her heart skip a beat.

 

Cullen had certainly touched her in more intimate ways than this, but there was something about the action, or perhaps the look he gave her as he did it, that made her lightheaded. It was almost as though he was conveying all of his respect and admiration for her into a single press of his lips to her skin.

 

“Thank you, my lady,” he said in a quiet voice as he lowered her hand.

 

Cerys shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts.

 

“I believe I’m the one who should be thanking you. When you said you didn’t dance, I wasn’t going to press the issue.”

 

Cullen gave a small shrug.

 

“It was worth it to see you smile like that after everything you’ve been through tonight.”

 

Not sparing a moment to care if they were spotted or to think about the consequences if they were, Cerys closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms tightly around Cullen’s shoulders. Cullen immediately bent down to accommodate her shorter stature and she buried her face into his neck, breathing him in. Cullen’s warm, strong hands settled on her back, one on her bare skin where her dress dipped.

 

Despite all that she had gone through at the Winter Palace, Cerys was fairly certain she would remember this night fondly and it was all thanks to Cullen.


	2. A Kiss On The Forehead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Forehead kisses: a reassurance, a benediction, gentle press of lips as the other’s head tilts up, eyes closed.

It took Cullen what felt like hours to open his eyes and even then, the sunlight pouring in through the hole in his ceiling felt too bright. He immediately closed his eyes and buried his face into the pillow, but it did little to ease the pounding in his temple or the roiling in his stomach.

 

He knew he had already slept in far too late. He needed to get up. He would get up, he told himself, as soon as his limbs stop feeling as heavy as a ton of bricks.

 

Before Cullen could force himself out of bed, he heard one of the doors to his office open as someone entered.

 

“Cullen?” the Inquisitor’s voice drifted up to his loft.

 

Cullen sighed. The fact that he was still in bed would have already tipped her off to his ill state. As soon as Cerys saw him like this, she would insist he take the day off. It eased his mind slightly that her concern for his wellbeing had started long before their romantic relationship, but he still worried about what it might mean for her reputation if people found out that she was doing such a thing.

 

He lifted his head and opened his mouth to call down to her, but his head started spinning so he snapped his mouth shut. A few moments later he heard her begin to climb the ladder. She said nothing when she reached the landing, instead walking quietly to the side of the bed and sitting down on the edge next to him. Cullen opened his eyes slightly; she was looking at him not with pity, but with empathy and for the millionth time he wondered what he’d done to deserve her.

 

“How can I help?” Cerys asked as she raked her fingers through his damp curls.

 

Cullen hadn’t realized he had been sweating.

 

“Headache,” he rasped, “and nausea.”

 

Cerys nodded before standing and moving to a desk on the far side of the room. Cullen closed his eyes as he listened to her rifle through the drawer where he kept the various potions and salves she had made for him, looking for the right ones. Soon he heard her walking back towards him and then he felt the bed dip as she sat back down.

 

Cullen felt her cool hands on the back of his neck, gently urging him to raise his head.

 

“Come on, love. You’ll feel better after you drink these.”

 

It was a struggle, but Cullen opened his eyes again and lifted his head up. Cerys brought one small vial to his lips and then another. As he laid back down, Cerys withdrew her hand from his neck and he immediately missed the contact. He shot his hand out, grasping for her blindly.

 

Cerys scooted closer to him and pressed both of her hands to Cullen’s face. Only then did he realize that they probably only felt cool to his feverish skin. Still, he relished the feeling as she gently stroked his forehead and cheek.

 

“Just rest today, all right? Cassandra, Josephine, Leliana, and I will take care of everything,” she told him.

 

Cullen nodded to show he was listening. As much as he hated taking days off, he knew that there would be no arguing with her about this. When Cerys withdrew her hands, Cullen reached out for her again. She took his hand in both of hers and squeezed.

 

“I’m sorry, I wish I could stay,” she said regretfully, “But there’s a lot of work to do. I’ll send Dorian up, okay? And I’ll come back tonight.”

 

Cullen’s brain became muddled as time progressed and it became harder to think. He remembered Cerys saying something else before she left, but he didn’t remember how much time passed before Dorian arrived. One moment the mage wasn’t there and the next he was.

 

Dorian spoke in a quieter voice than usual, but Cullen couldn’t follow what he was saying. Occasionally Dorian would coax him into sitting up and drinking water, but otherwise Cullen spent most of the day drifting in and out of a restless sleep.

 

The potions Cerys had given him helped – at some point he realized his headache had subsided to a minor irritation and he no longer felt like he was going to throw up all over himself. However, there were no potions to cure him of his nightmares.

 

Several times Cullen woke up with a start, surprising Dorian, as he tried to forget the feeling of a desire demon’s claws on the back of his neck or the scent of blood as mages and templars died around him.

 

The final time he woke, Cullen looked up at the hole in his ceiling and realized the sun had set. He also realized with an unfathomable gratefulness that the haze that had settled over his mind had passed. He sat up, his arms shaking slightly, and looked at Dorian who was smiling fondly at him from his spot in a chair next to the bed.

 

“Ah, there you are,” Dorian said, “It’s been quite a day, hasn’t it?”

 

Cullen let out a laugh, part amusement and part pent up anxiety. He tried to speak only to find his throat dry. Dorian quickly handed him a glass of water.

 

“As glad as I am to see you acting yourself again, I think it’s high time Cerys got to see you again. I’ll go find her and send her up,” Dorian said as he took the glass back and set it on the bedside table.

 

As Dorian stood to leave, taking the book he had brought with him, Cullen reached out and grabbed his forearm loosely.

 

“Thank you, Dorian,” he said, voice still gruff.

 

Cullen watched as a wave of emotion washed over Dorian’s face before he quickly put his careful mask back in place.

 

“Any time, my friend,” Dorian replied with a small smile.

 

As he watched Dorian descend the ladder to the first floor, Cullen realized he was _hungry_. He hoped Cerys would bring some food with her. And knowing Cerys, she probably would.

 

Sure enough, when Cerys appeared in his bedroom some twenty minutes later, she had a bag with her and Cullen could smell the baked goods inside it. He momentarily forgot how hungry he was when she smiled her beautiful, breathtaking smile at him from across the room.

 

“You look better,” she told him as she walked towards him, “Dorian said you’re feeling better as well.”

 

“Yes, much better,” Cullen confirmed as Cerys sat down next to him, forgoing the chair to be closer to him.

 

Cerys beamed at him once more.

 

“I’m glad. I brought food, just in case. Fresh from the kitchens. I know how much you love those cookies Josephine had made for you so I grabbed some of those and-“ Cerys said as she withdrew food from the bag at her side, setting it on the bed.

 

“Cerys,” Cullen interrupted, drawing her attention to him, “Thank you.”

 

She flushed slightly, a beautiful shade of pink.

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

“I hope my workload wasn’t too much to bear on top of your own,” he continued.

 

“Not at all,” Cerys shook her head, “Especially not with Cassandra’s help. We split your work between the four of us. I helped Cassandra run drills with the new recruits in the afternoon. I wish you could’ve seen it, they were so intimidated by her.”

 

“That’s her, she saved the Divine from a horde of dragons all by herself!” Cerys stage whispered, mimicking a Ferelden accent.

 

Cullen chuckled, realizing it was the first time he had laughed all day. Cerys smiled at him, a shy thing reserved just for him. She brought her hand to rest gently on his wrist where his pulse beat just beneath his skin.

 

“I’m glad you’re all right. I was…I was worried about you,” Cerys confessed, shaking her head, “I know it’s silly, but every time I see you ill it’s like it’s the first time. It doesn’t seem to get any easier. You’d think I wouldn’t have so much trouble with it, considering my training as a healer.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Cullen replied almost automatically.

 

“No, you have nothing to be sorry for. I told you, I’m proud of what you’re doing and I’ll support you any way that I can. I just worry. That’s who I am.”

 

Cullen nodded and looked down at where her hand rested on his wrist. After a beat, Cerys stood and moved towards him. She rested her free hand on his neck and Cullen closed his eyes as Cerys pressed her lips against his damp forehead.

 

Here he was, a sweaty, disgusting mess, and Cerys loved him anyway. Cullen tried to memorize the feeling of her soft lips against his skin. The kiss felt like a benediction, a blessing, a reassurance that they would survive the coming storms. How lucky he was to have found someone like her.

 

Cerys left one more smaller kiss on his forehead before she pulled away and sat back on the bed.

 

“Now, you better start eating or I’m going to eat all these cookies myself,” she told him seriously.

 

Cullen chuckled and did as he was told.


End file.
